words and sounds

Nina Hagen: An Artist Before Her Time? You Be The Judge.

I imagine if you put Lady GaGa and Regina Spektor into a time machine/gene splicer and added a few extra doses of glitter and hair dye, you’d end up with something like Nina Hagen. She’s considerably quirkier more insane than either GaGa or Spektor, but you can see where she might have influenced them. You can also see the aspects of her music that, thankfully, did not rub off on future entertainers.

I’m actually surprised that this song made it to #9 on the billboard dance/club charts in 1983. It’s probably a product of my new-millennium conditioning, but I’m not even sure how I would begin to dance to this song without laughing. Between the ridiculous vocal delivery (which veers uncontrollably from impressive to intimidating with her aggressive german accent) and her multi-colored mohawk mullet, Hagen comes off, to my modern eyes and ears, as a Saturday Night Live character.

How would YOU dance to this music?

For the older generation reading this blog, did you ever listen to Nina Hagen in the 80s? If so, what was her reputation back then?

Look! It’s Me!

I'm an actor, music obsessor, film zealot, avid reader, and certified social networking addict. I've been around the sun nearly 24 times and have been known to stay up until ungodly hours surveying the wonders of YouTube.